Geographical timepiece



Nov. 3, 1959 M. L. KIRKWOOD GEOGRAPHICAL TIMEPIECE Filed Jan. 16, 1957 3Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Nov. 3, 1959 M. 1.. KIRKWOOD 2,910,825

GEOGRAPHICAL. TIMEPIECE Filed Jan. 16, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V ENTOR.

Nov. 3, 1959 M. L. KIRKWOOD 2,910,825

GEOGRAPHICAL TIMEPIECE Filed Jan. 16, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet s FIG. '5.

IN V EN TOR.

' terline radius.

Figure 2 illustrates a timepiece arranged for perma-- hem use on thePacific coast of the United States. This United States PatentGEOGRAPHICAL Merseman Lincoln Kirkwood; Van Nuys, Calif; ApplicationJanuarylG, 1957, Serial No. 634,541

2 Claims. (C15 5M3) My invention relates to improvements in timepiecedial face components, and to combinations arranged to produce new andnovel results.

The first object of my invention is to provide means to select anddisplay the time of any standard time zone, any mid-Zone, or anyodd-time zone on a nearly normal appearing timepiece; which may be usedgenerally as a normal local timepiece without interference, orconfusion, from the display of. a multitude of geographical tirnesj Thesecond object is to provide means'for converting existing clocks andwatches to geographical timepieces: with or without alteration of thesaid existing timepieces, and without defeating the first said object. V

A complete disclosure is given herein, and in the accompanyingillustrations, in which:

Figure l is a frontal elevation of my timepiece dia arrangement whichmay be used either attached or unattached to a wall clock, or may beused, 'with or without clockwork, as a time finder for the solution oftime problems.

'mounting the various dial com onents.

Figure 5 is a partial section across any of twelve radii, of the timezone dial 1', having a standard time zone.

Figure 2 is best suited to illustrate the general principle ofoperation. The zone dial 1 has place names of opposed hemispheresarranged in se arate and concentric annular groups. Geographical" plae-names whose times differ by twelve hours are located on the sameradius. The Zone dial 1 is adjustable, rotatably, to permit an localtime zone, where the clock will 'beused permanently, to be positionedand secured on the upper cenany time zone desired to cause that z'onestime to be or the screws 12 press the dial firmly tofthe brackets2,910,825 Patented Nov. 3, 1959 ice 2 displayed on the largeselector-hour-dial 2. When this isdone, the local time will be shown onthe small auxiliary hour dial 4, for comparison purposes. The principaladvantage in having the large hour dial 2 rotatably mounted will beexplained in the rules for solving time problems. Gther advantages inselecting and displaying the time of other time zones will be apparentto radio operators, commercial airlines, commercial communicationcompanies, and to military and naval services.

With the timepiece arranged as illustrated in Figure 2, to determine anddisplay the time at New York it is only necessary to rotate theselector-hour dial 2 until the twelfth hour is radially abreast of NewYork; one fourth revolution to the left. The hour pointer 6 will then beindicating 12, the minute pointer 5' wil lfbe as shown on the uppercenterline radius, the 60th minute,

'and the displayed time would be 12 oclock. Wereit then desired todisplay the time of Venezuela, the twelfth hour would be moved to thatplace-name, onehalf zone more to the left, the hour pointer 6.would thenbe midway between hours 12 and l, and the minutes past 12 would be readon the central minute dial 8, as indicated by the small auxiliary minutepointer 7; which is integr al with and diametrically opposite to thelarge minute pointer 5. The standard time zones on dial 1 aredistinguished by radial lines. When the twelfth hour of theselector-hour-dial 2 is positioned radially coincident with a standardtime zone, the minutes of time will always be indicated by the largeminute pointer 5. When the twelfth hour of the said dial is positionedradially coincident with amid-zone, or odd-time zone, the minutes oftime will always be indicated'by the small minute pointer 7. Theodd-time zones have a small correction factor printed with theirplace-name's. The small plus or minus factor is applied to readings ofminutes when determining the time of those places.

In Figure 2, the smallauxiliary hour dial 4 is integral and rotatable inunison with thepivotable hour pointer 6, and having its twelfth houralways radially coincident with the hour pointer 6 thereby showing thehours elapsed since it was 12 oclock, noon or midnight, in any ofthetirne zones. This very greatly aidsin determining the proper am. orpm. suflix to the time determined in any time zone.

A distinct advantage of my invention is the, ability of a timepiece, asillustrated in Figure 2, to display local daylight saving time withoutthe necessity of re-setting the hour pointer 6 and the minute pointer 5.It is only necessaryto rotate the hour dial 2 to the left,counterclockwise, as many hour or zone positions as the local time is tobe advanced. Furthermore, the fact that my timepiece was set to daylightsaving time, or to any other than local standardtime, would'be instantlyapparent as the twelfth hour of the selector-hour-dial 2 would be offcenter.

The second object of my invention may be accomplished by rearrangementof various components .as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. In Figures 1and 3, the component parts having primed numbers perform similarfunctions as similarly numbered components which are unprimed in Figure2. The zone dial 1' is in the former a ring disc. It is heldfirmly tothe three brackets 13 by the three screws 12, which are in contact withthe inner periphery of thering disc zone dial 1'; the heads 13,'Ihe'three screwsll, in similar manner, press the 3 inverted minute dial8 firmly against an offset portion of the brackets 13. Thes'elector-hour-dial 2' is also in the form of a ring disc, the innerperiphery, of which, is in contact with the three screws 11; the ringdisc hour dial 2' being retained by the heads of the screws 11, whichmay be left slightly loose to allow dial 2 to be manually rotatable. Thethree brackets 13 may be fastened to a wall as at,14, retaining theassembled members'in front of any Wall clock 15', but not attached tothe clock in any manner. A watch may be suspended as'illustrated inFigure 3; appearing frontally as in Figure 1.

" A pocket time finder, for solving time problems, may i and 3, as willbe explained in detail. The notable difference of operation of theFigure l timepiece being that the displayed minutes of time, differingby thirty simultaneously, is accomplished by the minute pointer 5' inconjunction with the clock or watch minute dial 3' and the invertedminute dial 8'. Minutes of time of any standard time zone are indicatedby the minute pointer 5" on the minute dial 3'. Minutes of time of anymidtlme zone, or odd-time zone, are indicated by the minute pointer 5'on the inverted minute dial 8'; with the correction factors for odd-timezones being applied as explained before.

In Figure 1, the dove-tail grooves 9 hold the placename plates 10, andextend radially on, or parallel to, the time zones on the zone dial 1'.Figure 5 is a partial "section across any one of the standard timezones, showing two grooves 9, and two place-name plates, in sec t on.The plates 10 may be shifted to other zones, or other place-names may besubstituted, as desired or as may become necessary. For instance, allRussian time zones are advanced one hour, permanently, and should theyelect to change this condition, the place-names affected may be shiftedto other zones.

In Figure 1, the standard time zones, with parallel grooves thereon,have been numbered consecutively to the westward from G.M.T. (Greenwichmean time), or London. The clock 15 is represented as showing 11:30

at New York, Panama, Hai-Nan, "and Bangkok. As- Isuming the 11:30 sufiixto be am, in New York and Panama, then qitispm. in Hai-Nan and Bangkok.is 1630 G.M.T., because thehour pointer 6' is past the The shaft 25 maybe turned by clockwork, which is not shown.' The minute dial 8 isretained stationary on the base plate 28 by three screws, as 29. Thebase plate 28 is secured to the clock case 23 by screws, as at 30.

A new and novel result of the use of my selectorhour-dial arranged incombination with other features illustrated and described is thesimplicity and rapidity with which time problems may be solved; therules for doing so follow:

(1) Flight time problems.The time of a distant place, upon arrival inthe zone, may be determined in advance by knowing the zone of departure,the hour of departure, the flight time to the point of arrival, and thezone of arrival. From the hour of departure, count otf the hours offlight time, clockwise, and note the point of end of counting; call itX. As the flight is being made, the hour pointer 6 will be moving fromdeparture hour to X. Now, rotate the twelfth hour of dial 2 to the placename representing the zone of arrival, then note the hour at X; whichwill be the hour of arrival in the distant place. Zone time changes areautomatically done on this timepiece regardless of the total of flighttime hours, or the direction.

(2 Time to place a telephone call.The local time to place a telephonecall to a distant place, to have the call received at a desirable hour,may be found by rotating the selector-hour-dial 2 to position thetwelfth hour sixteenth standard time zone and the minute pointer 5' is;indicating the 30th minute position on the minute 'dial 3. The twelfthhour on the selector-hour-dial 2 has been rotated to a point radiallyabreast of Singapore to find their time. Since the hour pointer 6' isindicating the twelfth hour on dial; 2', the minute pointer 5' indicatesthe 60th minute on the minute dial 8, and it is pm. in Bangkok, then itis 12 oclock pm. in Singapore.

dial 3 cast, or m achined, thereon. The hour dial 2 is mounted on thebezel 22, where it may be freely rotated 'by hand, and where it isretained by the bezel flange, in front, and in back by the retainer ring27, which is threaded onto the clock case 23. The hour pointer 6 has thesmall auxiliary hour dial 4 integral therewith.

The hour-pointer 6 is mounted on the rotatable sleeve 24, which may berotated by clockwork; which is not Qshown. The minute pointers 5 and7are integral, and are retained on the rotatable shaft 25 by the screw26.

radially abreast of the place-name representing the zone of reception,or distant place, then note the radial position of the desired hour forreception; call it X. The hour pointer 6 will be at X at that time.Rotate the twelfth hour back to the local zone of point of call, andnote the hour to place the call; abreast of X.

(3) Time to receive a call.The time to receive a telephone call that isto be placed at a given hour, in a distant place, may be found byrotating the twelfth hour to the zone of origin of the call. Note theposition of the hour, there, that the call is to be placed; call it X.Rotate the twelfth hour back to the zone of re- .ception, and note thehour to expect the callr-abreast of X. When crossing the 180th meridianwestward advance the date, when crossing eastward retard the date.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the kind described comprising, in combination, arotatably adjustable time zone dial and means for securing the same in astationed position for operation, said dial having standard time zoneindicia arranged annularly thereon with half zone indicia arrangedtherebetween as required, a bezel surrounding said dial and having anannular face for indicating minutes of time differing by thirtysimultaneously, a selector dial having hour indicia arranged annularlyon it and surrounding said bezel, a minute pointer pivoted centrally ofsaid bezel and co-operating therewith, a central minute dial, anauxiliary minute pointer carried by said minute pointer and projecting.diametrically opposite therefrom to co-operate with said central minutedial, and mounting means retaining said. selector dial normallyturnable.for adjustment in substantially the same plane with said zone dial,

said. bezel forming a part of said mounting means and concentricallyspacing apart said time zone dial and se lector dial.

2. An apparatus of the kind described comprising, in-

combination, a rotatablyadjustable time zone dial having standard timezone indicia arranged annularly thereon with half-time and odd-time zoneindicia arranged therebetween as required, said odd-time zones havingcorrection factors indicated therewith as required, a selector dialhaving-hour indicia arranged annularly thereon, means for retaining saidselector dial manually turnable in substantially the same plane with andconcentric to said zone dial, a bezel havingan annular face forindicating minutes of time-differing by thirty simultaneously, saidbezel being located between the aforesaid two dials, a pivoted hourpointer having an integrally attached hour-circle with annularlyarranged hour indicia thereon, the twelfth hour of said hour circlebeing radially coincident with said pivoted hour pointer, a minute dialsurrounded by said hour circle, and an auxiliary minute pointer carriedby 5 said hour pointer and projecting oppositely therefrom to cooperatewith said minute dial.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 27,006Mofiet Ian. 31, 1860 6 Stanbitz Nov. 1, 1887 Barrett May 27, 1890 ConnerAug. 13, 1907 Giusto Oct. 22, 1929 Russo Sept. 12, 1933 McNair Feb. 9,1937 Braaten Dec. 30, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland June 7, 1898Germany May 27, 1909 Italy May 16, 1934

